Cowboys and Cookies
by Everhardt
Summary: After a long hunt, Ruby returns home to her family. Sequel to 'A Big Step'


**Cowboys and Cookies**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or any of the characters featured in it. I only own the OCs featured in this fic.**

Ruby let out a sigh of joy as she saw her house. A simple two-story house with a white picket fence surrounding it. After a month out in the field hunting monsters she was happy to return home. She walked past the gate in the white picket fence surrounding the house and opened the door.

"BANG!" Ruby clutched her chest and her eyes went wide as she fell to the ground. She lay there motionless for a few moments before she lifted her head and looked up.

In front of her sat a little 6-year-old girl wearing a red shirt and a short pair of jeans, pointing a toy revolver at her. A red cowboy hat sat atop a head of short red hair and silver eyes stared happily into Ruby's own. "Mommy's home!"

At once, they both jumped to their feet and Ruby took the girl into her arms. She then spun around as they both laughed happily.

"It's so good to see you again, Jane," Ruby said as she kissed the girl on the cheek and closed the door behind her. She then looked into the living room, where the rest of her family was waiting. Her wife, Blake, wearing a simple black shirt and matching pants. Their eldest daughter, Amber, who wore the same clothes as Blake and generally looked like a 10-year-old clone of her mother. Then there was the youngest member of the family. Ruben, a 2-year-old boy wearing a white shirt and black pants, was sitting in Blake's arms. He had Ruby's mixed hair colour and Blake's eyes and ears.

As Ruby walked up to her family, she set Jane down. Then she cupped her wife's cheeks and pulled her in for a deep kiss.

After a few moments, she broke the kiss and looked deep into Blake's eyes before kneeling down to get on eye level with her daughter. "Hey, Amber," she said as she hugged her daughter. "Have you been behaving yourself while I was gone?"

"Of course," Amber replied with a smile. "But Jane hasn't," she continued as she nodded towards her sister.

"Hey!" Jane spoke up, a hurt expression on her face.

"When she's not watching those dumb cowboy movies, she's running out into the woods in search of 'outlaws'. She constantly comes back hurt."

"First of all, they're called 'westerns', not 'cowboy movies'. And second, if I was afraid of getting hurt, I wouldn't want to become a huntress. Mommy gets hurt all the time, but she still goes out to hunt monsters."

"Because it's my job," Ruby spoke up. "And I trained for years to be able to do it. I'm happy you're so enthusiastic, but you haven't received any combat training. Don't go out looking for trouble if you don't know how to deal with it. Understand?"

Jane deflated at her mother's scolding, but slowly nodded. "Yes, mommy."

Ruby then smiled and tipped Jane's hat down. "Good." She then stood up straight again and ruffled Ruben's hair. The little boy giggled at the gesture and stretched out his arms. Ruby happily took him from Blake and gave him a good squeeze. "Hello, my little darling. How are you?"

"I'm fine, mommy," he laughed.

"I'm glad." She then turned to her wife. "How have you been holding up?"

"Fine. Amber's been helping with her siblings. Feeding Ruben, making sure Jane stays alive."

"Hey!"

"But I'm glad you're back."

"As am I."

"Do you know when you have to leave again?"

Ruby shook her head. "Ozpin just said it'll be a while. So I guess it'll be a few weeks."

Blake smiled. "Good. Then I guess we should get started on dinner."

"Oh!" Jane spoke up. "Mommy, can we have cookies for dinner?"

"Ooh, sweety..."

"No!"

"Aww. Alright, then." Ruby knelt down and handed Ruben to Amber. "I'm gonna help your mother cook. Take care of your brother and don't let your sister out of your sight."

Amber smiled. "Don't worry, mommy. Jane will just be watching those cowboy movies 'til dinner."

"Westerns!"

"Whatever. Come on, sis." With that, Amber walked over to the couch with Ruben while Jane headed for the TV.

Ruby then stood up and faced her wife.

"You don't have to help me," Blake suggested. "You just got here. Sit down and relax."

Ruby just shook her head and smiled. "Just being here with you is relaxation enough."

(**)

"Alright, now that dinner's over," Blake started as she cleared off the table. She looked at Ruby and Jane, who were both beaming and bouncing in their seats in anticipation. "Darling, would you fetch everyone a glass of milk?"

"On it!" Ruby snapped a quick salute and vanished from her seat.

By the time Blake entered the kitchen with the dirty dishes Ruby already zoomed past her, tray in hand. Ruby quickly placed a glass at every seat and then sat down, shifting impatiently.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity to Ruby, Blake walked out of the kitchen with a plate full of cookies. As she placed the plate on the table, both Ruby and Jane immediately reached for the cookies, only to have their hands smacked away by Blake. A look of betrayal on their faces, they both stared at the cat faunus in disbelief.

"Not so fast," Blake said as she took a few cookies off the plate. She then placed three cookies in front of Amber, gave one to Ruben and placed the rest in front of her. She then looked back at Ruby and Jane. "Go."

And just like that, the cookies started vanishing from the plate as mother and daughter inhaled them at a record pace. Before they knew it, the plate was empty and they both washed down whatever was left in their mouths by downing their glasses of milk in just a few gulps.

Blake just watched and smiled at them. Even if they were mother and daughter, it was still bizarre to her how eerily similar these two were.

Placing her glass down, Jane wiped off her mouth with her hand and smiled contently. "May I leave the table?"

"You are excused," Blake replied, watching as she happily jumped off her chair and ran over to the TV.

Once the rest of them had finished, Blake got up and took Ruben into her arms. "Ruby, Amber, clear off the table and help me with the dishes."

"Yes, mom," Ruby and Amber replied in unison.

(**)

"And they all rode happily into the sunset," Ruby finished as she closed the storybook. She then looked up at Jane, who was currently tucked into bed. She had taken off her hat, revealing the little red kitty ears that had been hiding under it. Her silver eyes were glistening with joy. She always loved hearing a cowboy story before bed and couldn't care less if she had already heard it a thousand times.

She then put the book away and got up. "Goodnight, sweetie," she said as she pecked her daughter on the forehead.

"Goodnight, mommy." Jane then closed her eyes and curled over.

Ruby walked over to the door, switched off the light and closed it. She then walked over to Amber's room.

"Hey, honey. Want me to read you a goodnight story as well?"

"No, thank you, mom. I'm ten years old. I don't need anyone to read me stories."

Ruby frowned. "Yang used to read me until she went to Signal."

"Weren't you 11 at the time?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Nothing," Amber chuckled. "Good night, mom. I love you."

Ruby smiled again. "I love you, too, honey." She kissed Amber on the cheek, turned off the light and closed the door.

Last was Ruben's room, where Blake was hovering over his crib. The little boy was already sound asleep, cat ears twitching as he snored peacefully. Ruby gently scratched his ear and the snoring was replaced by purring. No matter how many times she heard it, that sound would always make her heart leap.

"Hard to believe. Two years old already. We'll have to get him a real bed soon."

Blake sighed. "Seems like he was born just yesterday."

Ruby nodded. Soon their children would be all grown up and training to become huntsmen. It was a terrifying thought. Ruby understood why her father had been so overprotective of her and Yang. It was hard to let go. But she would have to, eventually.

Eventually, but not now. Right now, they were still her little babies. Right, now, they were here.

She looked up at Blake. "Shall we?"

Blake nodded.

They turned off the light, closed the door and walked to their own bedroom.

And she would be sure to enjoy every moment with her family.


End file.
